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Odyssey Dawn: The military operation

Here's a look at some of the international military assets in or heading to the region to help enforce the U.N.-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya.
Image: Military intervention in Libyan airspace commences
French military personnel checking the missiles mounted on a French Rafale fighter plane before taking off from military base in Saint-Dizier, France, on Saturday. The jets head for Libya to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians and embattled rebel troops. Sebastien DuPont / French Ministry of Defense / EPA
/ Source: The Associated Press

Here's a look at some of the international military assets in or heading to the region to help enforce the U.N.-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya:

France

  • Deployed eight Rafale and four Mirage jets to survey rebel-held Benghazi; one fired on a Libyan military vehicle in first military strike of operation; 20 French fighter jets carried out "several strikes" and returned to base. Officials denied a Libyan TV report that one had been hit.
  • The target area involved is an area 62-by-93 miles around the rebel-controlled city of Benghazi.
  • Six C-135 refueling tankers
  • 1 AWACS surveillance plane
  • The French operation is being run out of the Solenzara air base in the Mediterranean island of Corsica, around an hour's flight from Libya in a fighter jet.
  • France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is on the French Mediterranean coast and will head to Libya around midday on Sunday. It could reach the Libyan coast by late Monday carrying 15 fighter jets. Its battle group includes three frigates, a fuel-supply ship and an attack submarine.
  • Also envisages using anti-air frigates Jean-Bart and Forbin, anti-submarine frigate Dupleix, the Aconit frigate and a refueling ship La Meuse.

Canada

  • Sent six F-18s to Italy base; 140 military personnel involved.
  • Frigate HMCS Charlottetown is in Mediterranean for possible staging ground for Canadian forces.

United States

  • Fired with Britain 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles on Libyan air defenses, chiefly targeting  SA-5 surface-to-air missiles, which are considered a moderate threat to some allied aircraft. They were fired from the guided-missile destroyers USS Stout and USS Barry, and three submarines, USS Providence, USS Scranton and USS Florida. The U.S. military deployed planes, cruise missiles and electronic attacks, the Pentagon said.
  • Has two guided-missile destroyers in the Mediterranean, the USS Barry and USS Stout, two amphibious warships, the USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce, and a command-and-control ship, the USS Mount Whitney. The submarine USS Providence was also in the Mediterranean.
  • Witnesses reported five F-18s, two C-17s and a C-130 cargo plane arrived at U.S. air base at Aviano in northern Italy, which is home to the 31st Fighter Wing.

Denmark

  • Six F-16s arrived at U.S. air base in Sigonella, Sicily and could be deployed as early as Sunday; 132 support staff.

Italy

  • Offered use of seven military bases: U.S. air bases at Sigonella, Sicily and Aviano in northern Italy; Italian air bases in Amendola near Foggia, Decimomannu in Sardinia, Gioia del Colle near Bari, base on Sicilian island of Pantelleria, and the military airport of Trapani, Sicily.
  • Proposed NATO base in Naples serve as coordination point for operation.
  • Says it has four anti-radar and anti-missile Tornados and six other aircraft available to fly with 15 minutes notice.
  • Aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi off Sicily with eight aircraft aboard.

Spain

  • Sent four F-18s and a Boeing 707 refueling plane to Italy base.
  • Deploying a submarine, naval frigate and a surveillance plane.
  • Placed two bases at NATO's disposal, Rota and Moron de la Frontera, where several U.S. Air Force planes were seen Friday.

Britain

  • Launched Tomahawk missiles from a Trafalgar Class submarine and Stormshadow missiles from Tornado GR4s. The fast jets flew 3,000 miles from RAF Marham and back making this the longest-range bombing mission conducted by the RAF since the Falklands conflict. This operation was supported by VC10 and Tristar air-to-air refuelling aircraft as well as E3D Sentry and Sentinel surveillance aircraft.
  • HMS Westminster is off the coast of Libya and HMS Cumberland is in the region ready to support operations. Typhoon aircraft are also standing by to provide support.
  • Britain's air base in southern Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, supporting AWACS surveillance aircraft and has a team of personnel there to coordinate British aircraft movement.
  • Two British frigates, HMS Westminster and HMS Cumberland, are in the Mediterranean off Libya's coast.

Norway

  • Offered six F-16s, with around 100 support staff, but operational capabilities five-six days off.
  • Considering contributing an Orion maritime surveillance plane.